Apple reportedly has a ‘more affordable’ Macbook Pro in the pipeline that will come equipped with the upcoming M2 processor and is slated to debut later this year. A few weeks ago, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman mentioned in his PowerOn newsletter that an entry-level MacBook is set to make its debut next year as a successor to the M1-powered MacBook Pro from 2021.
To recall, the M1-powered MacBook Pro arrived in the market carrying a price tag of $1,299 for the base model. In comparison, the new 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the M1 Pro chip starts at $1,999, while the 16-inch version will set buyers back by a minimum of $2,499. That’s not exactly a cheap laptop and also leaves a $700 gulf between Apple’s last-gen MacBook Pro and its current avatar.
Apple wants to fill in that gap with a new MacBook Pro that will cost lower than its pricey notch-flaunting siblings. As per leakster Dylan, who has a fairly reliable track record with unreleased Apple product predictions, the new MacBook Pro will come equipped with the upcoming M2 silicon. It will replace the current M1-fueled 13-inch MacBook Pro and will also push the screen size to fourteen inches. However, it is unclear if it will borrow the divisive notch as well.
An Arguably Budget-Friendly MacBook Pro
The release window for Apple’s new entry-level MacBook is said to fall in the second half of the year. Dylan notes that it is also the same time frame when the 2022 MacBook Air refresh is slated to arrive. The latter is rumored to come sporting a fresh design that sheds the sharp, tapered looks in favor of a uniformly thick profile inspired by the MacBook Pro. As per rumors, it will hit the shelves in some bright colors, and the white bezel is touted to make a comeback as well. However, it is unclear if the upcoming entry-level MacBook Pro will also get the same design makeover. What the leak sounds very confident about is a lower asking price.
“It will receive a slight price increase over the previous generation,” Dylan tweeted about the upcoming M2-powered MacBook Pro. However, even if the slight price bump amounts to a $300 premium, the 2022 MacBook Pro refresh will still retail for about $500 less than the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro or M1 Max processor. As for the M2 chip itself, it had reportedly entered mass production as of April last year, and shipments were expected to kick off at some point in July. The chip is reportedly fabricated using TSMC’s 5NP (5-nanometer plus) node to deliver higher performance and power efficiency compared to the 5nm-based M1 system on a chip. However, the actual product is still a few months away, and Apple’s plans might change as well, so it is advisable to keep the high hopes somewhat restrained.
